Coin-controlled pay-station for telephones.



A. B. FLAGG & W-. H. LIVERMORE.

COIN CONTROLLED PAY STATION FOR TELEPHONES.

' APPLIGATION FILED PEB.'13,1907.

1,1 1 3,321 1 Patented 061;. 13, 1914.

3 SHEETS-$HEET 1.

Inveniora witnesses. Arfluw B.F1agg.

R 5 D- dmnm. 7 alga g 3301's Q Attorney THE NORRIS PETERS 60.. PHOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTON. D c.

1, 1 1 3,321 Patented Oct. 13, 1914.

3 SH'EETS-SHEET Z.

Inven coT's Wfinsses Arthur E). Flag UT WC%6T' H.LiifU more. 69 0 By I THE NokRls PETERS CO. PHom-LITHQ, WASHINGTON. u. c.

A. B. FLAGG & W. H. LIVERMORE. 00m CONTROLLED PAY STATION FOR TELEPHONES. APILIOATION FILED FEB. 13,1907.

1, 1 1 3,321. I Patented 001;. 13, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3'.

Witnesses Arthur Flagg. R0511? E Walter HLIDB mote.

QM WZWZMML u 6 Au ae unrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR n. FLAGG AND WALTER r-T. nrvnmvronn, or woncns'rnn, MAsSAcHUsnTTs, ASSIGNORS To LIVERMORE PAY sTaTIoN COMPANY, or BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS,

A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

COIN-CONTROLLED PAY-STATION FOR TELEPHONES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 13, 1914.

Application filed February 13, 1907. Serial No. 357,221.

To all, whom it may concern Be it known that we, ARTHUR B. FLAGG and W'ALTER H. LIvnnMonn, citizens of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of Worcester and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin-Controlled Pay- Stations for Telephones, of which the following is a specification, accompanied by drawings forming a part of the same, in which Figure 1 is a view of the open door of a telephone pay station embodying our inven tion showing in rear view the coin separating and signal devices. Fig. 2 is a similar view with the rear coin channel removed, showing the coin separator, the rear channel plate of the second coin channel and a por tion of the supporting plate. Fig. 3 is a top view of the coin separator detached, and Fig 4 is a side view of the pay station with one of the side plates removed.

Similar reference letters and figures refer to similar parts in the different views.

Our invention relates to improvements in a coin controlled pay station for telephones similar to that described in our pending ap plication Serial No. 293,175 filed Dec. 26, 1905, and it comprises improved signal means, an improved arrangement of separator and coin channels, an improved method of delivery from the coin channels into the coin receptacle, .and it further con sists in an improved construction andv arrangement of parts as hereinafter described and pointed out in the annexed claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings 1 is a box divided by a partition 2 into two compartments 3 and 4. The compartment incloses the coin separating and signal devices and the compartment4 is provided for the reception of the coin after it has passed through the compartment 3. The compartment 3 is provided with a door 5 upon which is mounted by posts 6 a resonant plate 7 to the outside of which the base 8 of the telephone transmitter is attached by posts9. Upon the inside of said resonant plate 7 the signal devices, to wit, the bell 10 and the gong 11 are secured by metallic connections. Also mounted 011 posts 12 attached to the door 5 is a base plate'13 to which is attached the coin separating device 14 and a coin channel 15 leading to it from a singleopening 15*. at the top of the box 1. Below the coin separator 14 a cover plate 13 is superposed on the base plate 13, said cover plate 13 having suitably formed flanges thereon to form in conjunction with the base plate the coin channels 17 and 18, as shown in Fig; 2. A second cover plate 16 is superposed upon the cover plate 13, said plate 16 having flanges thereon to form in conjunction with the cover plate 13 the coin channels 19 and 20, as shown in Fig. 1. These various coin channels are arranged to receive coins of different sizes from the coin separating device 14 and conduct them to the coin receptacle 4, which the coins enter through a single opening 21 in the partition2.

' We provide in the path of the coin between the coin Separator 14 and the compartment 4 pivoted levers ofconvenient size and shape having one end arranged to be struck by the descending coin and having the other end preferably provided with a hammer arranged to contact with one of the sound signals 10 or 11 attached ,to the resonant plate 7 as aforesaid. We also provide the ends of these levers in the path of the coin with counterweights to balance the weight of the hammer and render more certain the action of the lever.

The separator 14 as shown in Fig. 3 is provided on one side with openings 22, 23 and 24 for the passage of coins of different sizes, as they are deflected by the action of the separator. The separator 14 forms no part of our present invention and as its principle of operation is similar to that shown and described in our pending application Serial No- 293,175 a detailed description is deemed unnecessary. Coins of the largest diameter, T811611 as twentyefive cent pieces, pass through the opening 22 and are conducted bythe coin channel, 19 into contact with the lever 25 pivoted at 26with its 0pposite end 27 provided with a hammer 28 and arranged to strike the gong 11. The end 29 of the lever 25 is provided with a counterweight 30 to balance the hammer 28. From contact with the lever 25 the coin in the channel 19 continues its course until delivered by the opening 31 into the coin receptacle through the opening 21. The contact of the coin in the coin channel 19 with the end 29 of the lever 25 prevents its egress through the opening 32 in which the arm of the lever 25 swings. Coins of proper diameter to be delivered through the second openin 23, such as five cent pieces, are conducted through the channel 17 into contact with the lever 33 pivoted at 34: which swings the hammer 35 against the bell 10. The hammer 35 is counterbalanced by a weight 36. From contact with the lever 33 the coins pass through the opening 37 in the channel 17 into the coin receptacle opening 21. Coins of the diameter of pennies pass through the opening 2% and the coin channel 20 and opening 31 into the coin receptacle opening 21 without sounding a signal. Coins of the smallest diameter, or ten cent pieces pass throughout the entire length of the separator and contact with a lever 38 pivoted at 39, thereby swinging the ham mer 40 against the bell 10. The lever 38 is also provided with a counterweight 41. From contact with the lever 38 the coins rebound and are returned through the channel 18 into the channel 17 where they also contact with the lever 33, swinging the hammer 35 against the belllO and sounding it a second time and pass through the opening 37 into the coin receptacle opening 21. The delivery openings of the various coin channels conduct coins of different sizes into the coin compartment 4% through a single opening 21. We are thus enabled to separate the compartments 8 and l so that the coins in the compartment 4: are not accessible from the compartment 3. The compartment 4 is provided with a drawer 42 allowing the coins to be removed without access to the compartment 3. 1

By providing the hammers 35 and 40 preferably with conical striking faces we insure a sharp and well defined vibration of the bell IO-and we arrange the striking face of the hammer 28 to strike squarely against the outer coil of the spiral wire gong 11. We counterbalance these hammers by counterweights to enable them to be swung freely by the impact of the coin against the pivoted levers. By this arrangement of pivoted levers and hammers we secure favorable and uniform conditions for the vibrations of the sound signals which is impossible when the direct impact only of the coins against the signal is relied on to procure the sound.

We claim,

1. In a telephone pay station, a box, a vertical plate supported therein, a cover supported on one side of said plate, a coin channel obliquely disposed across said vertical plate and inclosed between said vertical plate and said cover, a second cover superimposed u on said first cover, and a coin channel crossing said first coin channel and inclosed between said first and second covers.

2. In a telephone pay station, a box inclosing a signal chamber having a single opening at its top for coins, a vertical plate supported in said chamber, a cover attached to said plate, a coin channel inclosed between said cover and said vertical plate and passing obliquely across said plate, a second cover superimposed upon said first cover, a coin channel inclosed between said first and second covers and crossing said first channel, and means for conducting coins from said receiving opening into one or the other of said coin channels according to the diameters of the coins.

3. A telephone pay station, comprising a box inclosing a sound signaling chamber, a series of sound signals contained in said chamber, a resonant plate supporting said sound signals, a series of coin channels, a plate supporting said coin channels, said channel supporting plate and said resonant plate having independent connections with said box.

4. A telephone pay station, comprising a box having a sound signaling chamber, a resonant plate supported in said chamber, a

1 series of sound signals supported by said resonant plate, a telephone transmitter supported by said resonant plate, and coin dis-- tributing channels inclosed in said chamber independently of said resonant plate.

5. A telephone pay station, comprising a box inclosing a sound signaling chamber, a resonant plate supported on posts in said chamber, a series of sound signals supported bv said resonant plate, and a series of coin channels supported on posts in said chamber independently of said resonant plate.

6. A telephone pay station, comprising a box, a series of coin channels, a plate supporting said coin channels, posts connecting said channel plate and said boX, a resonant plate, separate posts connecting said resonant plate with said box, and a series of sound signals supported by said resonant plate.

7. A telephone pay station, comprising a box, a series of coin channelsinclosed in said box, posts supporting said channels from the inner wall of said box, a resonant plate, posts supporting said resonant plate from the inner wall of said box, sound signals supported by said resonant plate, and a telephone transmitter supported by said resonant plate.

8. A telephone pay station, comprising a box provided with a hinged door on one of its vertical sides, a resonant plate supported upon the inner side of said door, sound signals supportedby said resonant plate within said box, and a telephone transmitter supported by the outer side of said resonant plate and independently of said door.

9. In a telephone pay station, a box inplate and extending through said hinged closing a signal chamber and having one of side. its vertical sides hinged to the body of the Dated this 5th day of February 1907.

box and adapted to swing outwardly, sig- ARTHUR B. FLAGG. 5 naling apparatus carried upon the inside of WALTER H. LIVERMORE.

said hinged side, a resonant plate attached Witnesses: to the inside of said hinged side, and a tele- PENELOPE CQMBERBAOH, phone transmitter carried by said resonant RUFUS B. FOWLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for fivecentseaeh, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. v 

